Blood is Life
by XxScriboLegoxX
Summary: When Grad student Nicole Harper travels to Transylvania to work in the castle of Vlad the Impaler she isn't worried. But when she meets the owner of the castle, the dark and mysterious ancestor of the historical count, she cannot help the quickening of her pulse and the chill that rushes up her spine. But why are all the doors locked and why is she not allowed to go outside?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Everyone has heard the legend of Dracula but everyone knows it isn't true. When Grad student Nicole Harper travels to Transylvania to work in the castle of Vlad the Impaler, the supposed home of Count Dracula himself, she isn't worried. But when she meets the owner of the castle, the dark and mysterious ancestor of the historical count, she cannot help the quickening of her pulse and the chill that rushes up her spine. It does not take long for her to discover, that these walls were no longer a sanctuary from the hungry wolves howling outside the castle, but a prison. **

_**Note: I am writing this story as if the events in Bram Stoker's Dracula actually occurred. Nicole would not have read the book because the book never existed. Hope that makes sense. **_

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_Prologue: _

Nicole looked up at the magnificent castle with awe and excitement in her bones. The chance to explore the castle, the corridors and secret passage ways, for her final dissertation was the chance of a lifetime. And as she looked up at the domineering towers and sharp unforgiving iron gates, she once again reminded herself to thank the owner.

The owner of the Castle, aptly named Vlad Dracula, had responded to her request quickly and matter of factly. His words were brief and to the point, immediately arousing excitement in Nicole's breast that this was actually going to happen. When he asked her age and to send him a small picture of herself Nicole had been slightly taken aback and made curious, but his explanation was enough for her.

_I would like to know who will be joining me in the castle. I do not let just anyone come and explore my home. _

She had assented and sent him a recent picture of her taken at a birthday party. She did not have to wait long for a letter to reply giving her permission to come to the castle. Nicole had kept Dracula's letters not because there was anything interesting in them but because of the strange way in which he wrote them.

At first Nicole had been surprised he could only be reached through letter, and when she opened his first correspondence to see the fancy script written in jet black ink on the paper her surprise increased. It was so beautifully writer, perfectly slanted and tastefully flourished, that Nicole had shown it to her advisor and friends.

"What a strange man," Nicole mused as she looked it over.

Flinging her backpack over her shoulder and grabbing onto her travel bags Nicole began to walk toward the giant heavy doors that stood before her. She could not keep the smile off her face as he walked up the steps. What a magnificent experience for her. She was going to be in the actual castle of Vlad the Impaler, living with a direct descendent of the man.

She made a list of all the things she wanted to see in her head. She wondered if Dracula would know what room his ancestor actually lived in, if any of his things had survived the centuries. Some thought her crazy for thinking this, but she did not think it was so far a stretch. The family of Dracula had been famously reclusive for the last few centuries. They rarely left the castle and when they did it was under great efforts to remain unknown. Nicole would not have been surprised if he was hiding things away in the castle.

Nicole knocked on the door, excitement budding in her chest to the point of bursting. How lucky was she to be able to spend the summer in the castle of Vlad the Impaler, the supposed home of the evil Count Dracula. Nicole giggled to herself. She had read that book Jonathon Harker had written in the early 1900s about the living count being a vampire. It was nothing but the illogical ramblings of a madman as far as Nicole was concerned. No doubt that book had caused the poor man Dracula many problems. The village people were frightened enough, holding on to old traditions and fearing something that they simply did not understand.

Nicole knocked again.

She was impatient only due to her excitement and she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. She shifted the weight of her back pack and raised her hand to knock again. She froze when the heavy door began to swing open and took a step back. What she saw on the other side took her breath away.

Dressed in a black suit that Nicole could imagine Vlad the Impaler wearing when he was alive was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. Red lips the color of blood, white skin near the color of paper and high cheek bones. His eyes were dark and piercing. Nicole felt a shiver run up her spine as she looked at him. For a moment she felt lost in his stare, unable to move or think.

This was the man she was going to be living with for the next few months? No twenty three year old woman had ever been so happy. Goosebumps broke out over her skin when a small, sensuous smile spread to his lips.

"Nicole, welcome," his voice was richly accented and deep. It lulled her deeper into her haze. "Please, come in."

She moved at the invitation, picking up her bags and stepping toward him. The castle was cool as she stepped inside and as she passed by him she felt a wave of icy air wash over her. When the heavy door slid shut she heard the distinct sound of a lock clicking but she thought nothing of it. When Dracula came back around to face her the sensuous smile was still on his lips and Nicole, out of her haze, fought back the giggle that threatened to break free. She would not act like a school girl with a crush in front of this handsome, deliciously European, man.

But when he reached for her free hand, wrapped his icy, pale fingers around hand, bringing it to his lips, the giggle did break free, and her face flushed crimson.


	2. Chapter 2

Nicole was lead up the stairs by the count looking around at the magnificence of the castle. It was grand, old and in slight ill repair, but magnificent none the less. As she walked down the cold stone hallways, which was lit by torches, she reached out to touch the cool walls. She was so enraptured with the portraits that covered the wall that she ran straight into the back of the count as he stopped. She jumped back, apologized with a bright pink blush covering her face and waited for him to speak. He eyes looked at the coloring of her cheeks with a strange interest, but he looked away soon enough for it not to be too weird.

"Your room, Nicole," he said and slowly pushed the door open. "I do hope it is acceptable."

She slipped in past him and into the room, her lips parting as she did so. The room was absolutely amazing. There was a rich Persian rug on the floor, a grand bed, and a little area for writing. Attached to the room, which she noticed after the Count disappeared for the rest of the day, was a beautiful library consisting of a large window looking over the mountains, and a grand fire place. Nicole could not remember a more exciting moment in her life. Before the Count disappeared however, he gave her very simply instructions that did little to impede her freedom, and he gave no hint of annoyance when she asked him to repeat himself. She had been listening to the sound of his silky voice so intently, that she had not heard anything he said.

She could visit any room in the house, as long as she stayed out of the basement, and the room on the far end of the hallway. He informed her of those being his personal rooms and that he was usually a private person. She thanked him for allowing her to stay in his home for so long, explained how thankful she was to him, and said good bye for the time being. She had expected to see him shortly after unpacking, but as she went to every end of the house, she saw no sign of him. She past a few hours in the library, spent some time exploring the gardens, before decided to go exploring. She had no idea how long she was lost, but about an hour after her attempt at exploring the castle, she found herself lost.

She had grown frustrated, for it seemed every door she opened lead to another hallway, and then another room, and then she was right back where she started. At the peak of her frustration she found herself at a door that was locked. She giggled the handle, desperate to get in, thinking it was the way back to the east wing and had jammed behind her.

"That is the basement."

Nicole jumped when she heard the voice behind her, and let out a tiny yell. She turned to see the count, standing their holding a torch, in a black tuxedo with a white shirt and vest. He was an enchanting sight.

"Sorry," she said. "I got lost."

"Yes, I could… hear you moving around," he told her and held his arm out down the hallway. "This way."

"You could hear me?" Nicole asked. "Where were you?"

_And why didn't you come get me?_

"I did not know you were lost," he answered, and it took her a moment to realize the question he answered was not the one she had voiced aloud. "Are you hungry, Nicole? You must be starving."

"Oh, yes," she said, suddenly realizing her hunger.

"I hope you will enjoy the meal," he told her.

"Are there servants in the house?" she asked as he led her through the maze of rooms. She thought it would take a century to learn all the different corridors.

"One," he replied shortly. Before they entered the dining room the count took her hand and guided her inside. It was a gentlemanly old gesture, and she blushed as he did so. He once again noticed his eyes lingered slightly on her pink skin before looking away. He placed a torch onto the wall before guiding her to her chair, pulling it out for her.

"Thank you," she said and looked at the table. Her mouth almost watered as he removed the cover from the plate of food in front of her. "Oh my goodness."

It was a beautiful meal and Nicole had to struggle with herself to remain polite. She wanted nothing more than to pick up the golden turkey breast with her hands and shove it into her mouth whole. But the man behind her kept her form doing so.

"Do you drink wine, Nicole?" he asked closer to her ear. She could feel his body behind her, close to her back, and as an arm reached out to pour blood red wine into her goblet she shivered slightly. But what was odd, was that the shiver did not come completely from the fact that this man drove her crazy, but that he was freezing. It was like an ice block had just been pressed against her and goosebumps erupted over her skin.

"Sometimes," she told him as he filled her goblet. He placed the bottle on the table, before walking to the other side and taking his seat. She was going to wait for him to get his own meal situated, when she noticed he had none.

"You're not going to eat?" she asked.

"No, I will eat later," he said with a small, half smile on his lips. Thinking it was just some Romanian custom, to not eat so early, Nicole pushed it to the back of her mind and began to eat, as daintily as she could.

"Your home is just amazing," she told him as she ate. He nodded his head in gratitude.

"It feels as if I have lived here for hundreds of years," he told her and she smiled at the sentiment. "You said you were doing your thesis on Vlad the Impaler?"

She nodded.

"Yes, I think he's fascinating," she told him. The count smiled, almost smugly, but Nicole attributed it to it being his ancestor.

"And this history you will be writing," he said with a flourish of his hand. "Will it be… favorable to the Count?"

Nicole shrugged.

"It all depends on what I find here. Most of what I know does not cast him in a very good light," she said.

"He was a savoir to Christendom," the Count said with an angry snap and Nicole looked up in surprise.

"I don't mean to offend you. I am sure that if I can get my hands on those journals and letters you said you had, I would be able to see the pictures more clearly," she supplicated.

"You will see them," he said with a small nod.

"Thank you, again so much, sir," she told him. "This castle is breath taking."

"What blood type are you?"

The question seemed so strange, and was so abrupt, that Nicole could not help but answer immediately. He nodded slowly as she replied with AB-.

"I have been told that is rare," he said.

"Um... the rarest I think," she said. She could have sworn she saw his tongue dart out to flick over his tongue, but later decided it was just the flash of the torches on the walls.

"You are tired, and must go to sleep early," he said. She nodded.

"I plan on it," she answered and sipped at her wine. She momentarily wondered if there was something in the wine, judging by the look in his eye as he watched her, but soon discarded that theory. He had had that look in his eye since she met him. She thought he was simply just that kind of person.

"I hope the bed is comfortable," he told her. "If it is not, I will have a new room made up for you."

"Thank you, but I am sure it will be completely fine," she said. When she finished eating he insisted she go to her room to sleep and she obeyed gladly. She changed into her pajamas, a simple pair of hot pink shorts and a white tank top, and slipped into bed. It was one of the most comfortable beds she had ever lay in. The blankets were thick and warm, the sheets the soften cotton she had ever lay on, and the mattress had to have been made from clouds. That, mixed her her exhaustion, sent her to her dreams in nearly no time at all.

Dracula entered her room by window, slowly opening the glass door and slipping inside. His thirst was beyond control, and though he had planned on waiting a day or two, he could not help but feed at once. He would only take a little, not enough for her to feel a difference, and then be gone. He moved into her bedroom swiftly, sitting down on the bed without the slightest of sounds.

He slowly pulled the blankets down to reveal her silky neck, her cream color bone, and the swell of her breasts. He was her chest rise and fall, slow and steady, for a few moments. His hands touched her arms, reveling in the smooth, soft skin of a woman. Slowly, one of his hands went to move under her neck, and he slowly pulled her into a sitting position. Her eyes fluttered open, but no recognition was allowed to take root. Instead her eyes went slightly blank as she looked at him, her body compliantly moving as he commanded it.

She made no move as he lowered his face to her neck, breathing in her scent deeply. A growl nearly left his throat as he breathed her in. He could hear her pulse, taste the blood pumping through her veins and his mouth watered. He savored the moment, opening his eyes and looking at her creamy skin, pressing his face against hers. She swayed in her arms, a small moan escaping her mouth as his lips pressed to her skin.

"My beautiful Nicole," he said to her, sitting up and looking her eyes. "My Nicole, in time you will be mine, until then, we must be patient."

With that he lowered his head to her neck once again, impaling his incisors into the junction between her neck and shoulder. She cried out in shock and pain before leaning against him as he tasted her. There was an explosion in his brain as he tasted her blood, and he felt power pulse through his body. He held her tightly, one hand wrapped around her middle, the other holding her head in position.

It took everything in him not drain her dry, and when he pulled back, her blood painting his lips, he watched for several more moments as droplets of blood oozed from her shoulder. He took his eyes away when the bleeding stopped, and looked back at Nicole, who was flushed, and had the far off look of women who had just experienced ecstasy.

Slowly he lowered his head toward her, catching her lips with his. Her blood caused his lips to slip, but soon the kiss deepened slightly, and leaned against him for support. He looked down at her, his eyes glowing. He did not think Lucy nor Mina had ever looked so intoxicating.

"Good night, Nicole," he whispered, laying her back down on her pillows. He whispered in her ear softly before standing, "dream of me."

And obedient even in her sleep, she did.

When Nicole awoke the next morning it was to a mouthful of pennies and fragments of the most erotic dream she had ever had. As she smacked her lips, trying to get the taste of blood out of her mouth, bits and pieced came flooding back to her.

The Count holding onto her from behind, his lips on her neck.

The Count looming over her, his eyes hot and full of an unearthly hunger.

The Count laying over her in bed, her moans coming out in breathy pants.

She shook her head as she got up and moved to the bathroom, the most modern, but still not modern, room in the house. She looked in the mirror and was startled by the smeared blood on her lips. She concluded that she had bit her lip during the night and, as lips could be very vascular, had bled more than normal. She rinsed her mouth out with fresh water, and was just about to leave the bathroom when something caught her eye.

Her eyes fell to her neck, where she found two small puncture wounds in the skin. They had scabbed over, and looked as if they had been healing for weeks already, but she had not seen them since today, nor ever remembered getting them. She ran her fingers of the small scabs, wracking her brain for what it could have been. Did she sleep walk to the bathroom last night and run into the wall, or hook a broken picture frame? It was improbable, but not entirely impossible.

When her examination was complete she took a hot bath, dressed for the day in jeans and a white t-shirt. She moved back to the mirror to brush her teeth and brush her hair, but she ended up doing neither for some time, because when she came to stand in front of the mirror, and glanced down at her neck, she saw no puncture wounds, no scabs of any sort. Instead, all she could see was the faint, white outline, of two, small circles.

A/N: Sorry it took so long! School is pretty crazy and I am trying to keep everything together at the moment. Let me know what you think please! I am trying to be delicate with Dracula, because I think is sexiness has a subtleness too it, and I don't want to go over the top or make it OOC/weird.

Please Review!

And I hope to be updating me Les Mis story soon. THANKS!


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